Man of the Province

2016-10-10 12:17

Amil Umraw, The Witness

Pietermaritzburg police spokesperson Sergeant Mthokozisi Ngobese is the service’s KZN Man of the Year for 2016. Ngobese received the award at the police’s provincial excellence awards in Durban on Friday. (Amil Umraw)

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Pietermaritzburg's link between the police and the community has been hailed as the police’s Man of the Province for 2016.

The prestigious award was handed to uMgungundlovu­ South cluster spokesperson Sergeant Mthokozisi Ngobese during the police’s provincial excellence awards on Friday.

The Man of the Province award goes to an officer who goes beyond the call of duty to make positive contributions in uplifting disadvantaged communities, maintains discipline and portrays a good image of the police.

The judging panel also take into account the officer’s conduct in fostering a sustainable relationship between the police and the community.

Ngobese now automatically qualifies for the national award in the same category.

With 20 years in the service, Ngobese was praised for his most recent accomplishments, which include being the driving force behind two large community projects this year.

Ngobese said in an interview yesterday that the police had identified a “problematic” high school in Imbali, where drugs were rife and discipline was rare.

“Instead of arresting pupils, we thought we should be like fathers to them. We identified the school’s shortcomings and the shortcomings of the pupils, and found that they did not even have a computer in the school,” he said.

Ngobese was able to secure the sponsorship of 30 computers for the school shortly afterwards.

He was also at the helm of a drug awareness project in the Edendale area, which saw more than 6 000 pupils take to the streets in protest against drugs. “I knew I was a nominee for the award, but on Friday, when the announcement was made, I was not sure they were calling my name. I was not expecting it because we have so many good officers,” Ngobese laughed.

“I felt that my contributions do not go unnoticed and I was very emotional. It was a humbling experience as well as a motivator to push me to do better.”

Ngobese thanked his family, and especially his wife, for their support. “I also want to thank the police management at both provincial and cluster levels for the award. My church also plays a big part in my work because without their teachings I would not have the same passion,” he said. “My dream is to see a significant decrease in crime, especially those crimes which affect our youth, because they are our future leaders. I will continue to help the community next year.

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